NOTE: The CSS Profile and FAFSA are only necessary if you are seeking need based financial aid. Merit funds are evaluated and awarded by The Office of Admission.

Every student applying to the College is encouraged to apply for financial aid, and the first step is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal aid. Entering freshmen and transfer students are strongly encouraged to complete the CSS Profile to receive consideration for all aid programs. The College Board has information on the process of completing the CSS Profile (1-844-202-0524). We DO NOT require the CSS Non-Custodial Form. Upon receipt of your application, we will determine if you qualify for federal, state, or institutional grants, federal work-study, or federal student loans, and we will put together a personal aid package based on your eligibility. Please note that notices of awards and revisions will be sent to the students only. It is important to have them check not only the e-mail provided on the Common Application but their assigned William and Mary e-mail as well.

The primary responsibility for financing an undergraduate college education rests with students and their parents. Eligibility for financial aid is based on the following formula:

Two important things to note

The total amount of financial aid students receive, including outside resources such as scholarships, cannot exceed their cost of attending the College.

It is possible for students' EFC to be greater than their cost of attending the College; in this case, they do not demonstrate eligibility for need-based financial aid. However, financial aid programs such as the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the Direct Parent PLUS Loan, and private loans are available to students regardless of their financial need.

Information for:

Assistance is also available for:

Laptop Computer - Please note that we cannot provide full assistance for the purchase of a Macbook, as it is more expensive than the standard suggested Dell laptop. We can provide additional loan eligibility up to the cost of the standard Dell laptop as offered by The William & Mary College Bookstore (approximately $1700). To request the laptop increase, you must provide a paid receipt/bill of sale or price sheet outlining the cost along with the one time budget increase request form from the student. It is important to note, that we can only do a computer increase once per student. However, if you are continuing to graduate school at W&M or your first computer suffers a catastrophic event, please check with our office to determine if you can be considered for another increase.

The request for Laptop Computer Increase can include the cost of a printer and other necessary peripherals, however it does not cover software, apps, tablets, speakers, etc.

Request will not result in additional grant funds for the student, but in an increased budget that will allow for additional borrowing in some cases of loan funds.